Harmonic attachment for key-board musical instruments



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

' W. T. WEIR.

y HANMONTO ATTACHMENT TON KEY BOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. No. 804,981. Patented SeptLQ, 1884.

l l1 Mllllil Ih T A L T WITNESSES: INVENTOR: f' v I (No Model.) 2 sheets-#sheet 24 W. T. WEIR. vEAEMONIG ATTACHMENT POP. KEY BOARD MUSIGALv INSTRUMENTS. No. 304,981. Patented Sept. 9, 1884.

UNITED STATES PATENT UEEICE.

VORTHINGTON T. \VEIR, OF SPRING IIILL, ILLINOIS.

HARMONIC ATTACHMENT FOR KEY-BOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 304,981, dated September 9, 1884.

Application filed December 17, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom, it may con/cern.-

Be it known that LWORTHINGTON T. WEIE, of Spring Hill, in the county of Whiteside and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harmonic Attachments for Key-Board Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and correct description thereof, reference being had to the accom panying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

rlhis invention relates to harmonic attachments for key-board musical instruments, and has special reference to a supplemental keyboard designed to be used upon the ordinary key-board of an organ or piano.

The object of the invention is to provide a removable supplemental transposition keyboard adapted for temporary attachment over the ordinary chromatic key-board of organs or pianos of varying sizes, and in which keyboards the keys have atwofold arrangementirst, according to the major or minor scale, and, second, according to the harmonic 'divisions-in order that a person who is not an accomplished musician may be `enabled to more readily pla-y the simpler grades of music, the transposition of the key-board' enabling him to play music written in any key in the same or in a higher or lower key with the same execution as though it were in the natural key, and the arrangement of the keys according to the harmonic divisions enabling him to readily find the notes which the music indicates are to be sounded simultaneously.

lo these ends the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a .perspective view of the upper portion of au organ having one of my supplemental key-boards. Fig. 2 isa detailview showing a portion of the organ with the supplemental key-board removed to expose a removable horizontal bar, to which the keyboard and a lseries of false keys are attached. Fig. 3 is a plan view of an octave of my supplemental key-board. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view in the line .fr .r of Fig. l. Fig.

` visions.

5 shows the attachment between the fixed bar and the key-board.

For convenience in description, I use herein the terms harmonic divisions77 and 55 tonic, subdominant,7 and dominant dirlhe term tonic division77 designates, collectively, all the chords or triads of the tonic in the several octaves of the musical scale. rIhe term subdominant division77 6o designates,collectively, all the chords or triads fof the subdominant-in the several octaves.

The term dominant division 7 designates, collectively, all the chords of the dominant seventh in the several octaves, and the term harmonic divisions7 designates, collectively, the three divisions above named.

In the drawings, A, Figs. l, 3, 4, and 5, is my supplementalv key-board. In Fig. l it is shown in position for use over the black keys 7o of the ordinary key-board, B, of an organ. In Fig. 3 a portion of the top is shown, and

`in Fig.v 4 it appears in transverse section.`

Its top surface is divided into three longitudinal parallel banks or stages, A A2 A3, each of 75 which is provided with a row of holes, a3, passing vertically through the board, in each of which rests loosely a key, a, consistingv ,of the shaft a and the head a2. Said, key-board kA is made one octave shorter than the key- 8o' board B of the organ, in order that it may be shifted laterally, as will be hereinafter shown,

and only a sufficient number of holes a3 are. made therein to receive the keys of the major scale, and to fullyV represent the harmonic divisions of chords, and these are placed in the banks Al A2 A", (which represent, respectively, the tonic, subdominant, and dominant divisions of cl1ords,) as shown in Fig. 3, in which the series of spaces l to 13 represent 9o the half-steps of the chromatic scale. The numerical key l is placed in the bank A and half-steps l and 13. rIhe numerical key 2 is placed in bank A3 and half-step 3; the numerical key 3 in bank A and half-step 5; the 9 5 numerical key 4 in banks A2 and A3 and halfstep 6; the numerical key 5 in banks A` and A and half-step 8; the numerical key G in bank A2 and half-step l0; the numerical key 7 in bank A3 and half-step 12, and thenumeriroo cal key S in bank A2 and half-steps l and 13.

C is a longitudinal bar, secured rigidly at the rear ot' and alittle above the key-board I3, and supports the supplemental board A in such manner as to allow the latter to be shifted to the right or left, and as to expose the outer ends ofthe black and white keys of the board B. Said bar- C may be secured to the organ in any suitable manner, but l prefer the inode herein shown, which consists in providing one or both of the ends ot' the bar with threaded extension-bolts c, which, on being withdrawn, press against the ends l) ol" the organ or an interposed bleek, d. By this means the bar C may be readily raised or lowered or shifted backward or l'orward. rlhe keyboard A is adjustably secured to the bar G by means of a bolt, A, tired. in the back thereof and passing through a longitudinal slot, C', in the bar C, said slot C being preferably provided with notches e', in which the bolt A may rest.

E l l are a series ol" blocks or false keys lying loosely upon the white keys in the spaces between the black keys ofthe key-board B, the height oi' said false keys being equal to that of the black keys, thus making an even surface beneath the board A. Each of said false keys is attached by its rear end to the lower edge ot' the bar G by means of a strip ot'leather, felt, or other suitable llexible material, such strip being|` long enough to allow said block to rise and fall bodily with the true key beneath it. .l-y this arrangement the Afalse keys are always lit'ted from the organ when the bar C is rcmoved, and when said bar is replaced said keys are :|noperly distributed upon the true board, and they will need n o attention tokeep them in place. rlhe lower ends ot' the keys c c each rest on one ot' the l'alse keys (thus resting indirectly on the white keys) or on one ot' the black keys ot' the key-board B, and each particular key always represents the same number ol' the mnnerical scale, the key representing the keynote alwaysbearing the number l, -no matter in what; position the board A may be, the next to the right always reprcsenting 2, and so on through each octave; and each key may have marked upon it the numher it represents. It it be desired to play a piece in any other key, eithcrhighcr or lower than that in which it is written, itis only necessai-y to set a key c No. Il. over the key in the t-rue board selected Vt'or the key-note.

ln playing, should the musicfbe written in the natural key, or key ot" C major, the board A, by means ot' its adjustable `fastening to the bar C, is shifted to the right or let't until a key l No. il rests on middle C, the notches c', which are spaced the same as the half-steps, aiding in placing it exactly over the eenterot' said key. The music is then played with rei crence to key as though the true hoard Il were being used. lt the music bev written in any other key than the natural, the board A is shit'ticd until a key c No. l, rests on the key in the board l5 representing the key-note, when the keys c c will rest over the proper half-notes in the board B to make a major scale in that particular key, and the musitI is then played on the keys a a without relerenee to transposition, or as though it were written in the natural key.

The arrangement oi' the `keys a into harA monic divisions, as shown, enables the player to readily iind the notes on the board which harmonize. For example, it'he uses one or more notes in the upper halt of the tonic row, and desires to use one or more bass notes which shall harmonize with said `upper notes, all that is necessary is to follow the lower portion ot' said row with the lel't hand and use such o't` the keys in said row as he may desire; or, it' it be desired to make a run7 on either chord, itis simply necessary to follow the row forming the particular chord or harmonic division as far as desired.

A suiiicient portion ot' the outer ends of the. black and white keys ot' the board B should beleft exposed in front of the key-board A, as shown in the drawings, to enable the player to see all of said keys, and thus be assisted in learning the harmonic relations oi' the same, or to play upon them without removing the supplemental board, if so desired; but for the purpose of exeeution'alone the player need not (except in case ot' accidentals) in any man ner rely upon the keys ot' the true board. lt" the supplemental board is arranged for the major scale, it will contain all t-he keys needed for all pieces written in the maior scale, unless there should be accidentels, and it' there are accidentals they may be struck on the true board; but as this board is intended to be used chietly-by persons who play only the simpler grades ot' music, in which accidentals seldom occur, it deemed unnecessary to consider them.

rlhe arrangement ot' the keys u. ofthe board A may be changed to the minor scale by mov ing the keys 3 and (S a half-step to the left; and, the board A should he provided with extra holes in the halisteps ft and E), Fig. f3, receive said keys when it is desired to play in the minor key.

ly making certain modifications, my sup- ]j lexne11lal board may be placed permanently on an organ; but, as this is designed to' constitute the subjectmatter i'or a separate :.ipplication l'or patent, I shall not describe the same herein.

I am aware that a supplemental kcy-board having a chromatic scale similar in every rcspect to the ordinary organ key-board has heretofore been arranged adj ustabl y upon an organ i'or the purpose alone ot1 effecting a mechanical transposition of the music.

lf am also aware that in a keyboard i'or aecordions and similar instruments keys have been 'arranged in rows representing the tonic, subdominant, and dominant divisions, and these rows divided into sections or groups to form chords, each section containing a small number ot' chords in one particular key; but in this latter device the keys in one section hold no relation to those in any other-that is ICO to say, there is no serial arrangement of the key-board A, and the bolt A", in combination, I keys into either a chromatic, major, or minor l substantially as shown and described.

scale. Said device cannot, therefore, be used 3. The combination of the bar C, bolts c, and for playing melodies, and to only a limited block d, substantially as shown, and for the 15 5 extent in playing` chords. purposes described.

I claim as my invention- 1n testimony whereof I havev hereunto set l. The adjustable key-board A, the vertical my hand in presence of two Witnesses. shaft keys a a, the bolts A, and the bar C, in \VORTHlNGTON T. VVEIR. combination, substantially as shown and set YVitnesscs: Io forth. CYRUS KEHR,

2. The adjustable supporting-bar C, the CHARLES H. Ronnra'rs. 

